The Intern
by Smilingbomb
Summary: A surprising father figure, and a rival heiress are the first stepping stones to a new life but one must understand the past to go foward. Implied Amber/Graverobber, future Largocest .
1. Life Afterwards

**Title: **The Intern

**Chapter Title: **Life Afterwards

**Rating: **T to M, but this chapter is a chaste K. 3.

**Summary: **A surprising father figure, and a rival heiress are the first stepping stones to a new life but one must understand the past to go foward. (Implied Amber/Graverobber, future Largocest).

**Author Notes: **I hope you enjoy this fic. This is the first chapter of many to come. I am currently living in Switzerland so my English is kind of . . . horrible, thanks to the fact that I am trying to learn German. So any constructive critisism is lovely! Also, I would like to say that this is not a Graverobber x Shilo fiction. I have this horrible fear that people may start reading this for the Grilo . . . but, it just is not going to happen. So, sorry if I scared you away with the honesty! But, anyways, enough of my rambling, enjoy the fic!

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Shilo's wig of sleek, black hair covered her bald head. The fact that it could cause her to be recognizable caused a small pinch of fear in her heart. After appearing in front of thousands of people at the Genetic Opera, after rejecting GeneCo as her future, and after abandoning her past; the last thing she wanted was strangers asking why she abandoned the ideal career. This left her with two choices: go bald or choose another color. Laughing slightly at the proposition she gave herself, Shilo made herself a compromise. Let her hair remain bald. Let the world gawk. She was seventeen, she was on her own, and she was tired of the deception that seemed to dictate so much of her life. And so she was stuck on the streets; not only just a young girl, but a thinning, bald, young girl.

The first week passed simply. She controlled her emotions and did not visit her house. Instead, Shilo found herself roaming from poor house to poor house. Her last bit of pocket money went to food and she spent many hours at her mother's tomb. She did not exactly pray as she sat there, instead she found herself searching for some sort of answer. 'Did father really poison you on purpose? Then, why? Why did you get involved in the Largo family?'

The second week proved more difficult. The inevitable weakness of youth caved in and Shilo would pass the place she once called a home. She would look up at the window she used to gaze out of as she dreamed of a new world; a world of glamour and singing. A regretful sigh passed through her lips as she thought of Blind Mag's death; the falling from the ceiling, the landing on a fence of spikes; much like those that lined her house. It was only natural that Shilo would eventually open the doors to her former home and go to her room in a search for security.

And as the third week came by, it was only natural that the seventeen-year-old was homesick, hungry, and lonely. She would occasionally pass by her home, but for the most part she wandered. The girl had not a place to go to call home. Freedom was no longer the bask of happiness she thought it would be. Instead, it was a stinging feeling of reality. Images of Zydrate addicts invaded her mind for it was the last thing she wanted to become. Though she wouldn't consider herself depressed, it was entirely impossible to say that in this third, rather difficult week of being alone Shilo lost a certain sense of self. She did feed herself with what she could find, however, she found herself spending more time at her mother's grave and Blind Mag's grave in a state of nothingness. It was in one of these moments that her cycle of homesickness was broken.

"Are you going to stay and stare at their grave's for the rest of your life?"

Shilo's eyes quickly fluttered to stare at the man standing in front of her; he was easy to identify from his easy swagger and dark demeanor. He was the infamous Graverobber. The man that saved her life not only once, but twice and she felt herself indebted to him. So instead of shrugging him off, she smiled a little bit, "Just today," she answered, hoping he would believe this was the only time she visited the grave.

The Graverobber gave a cocky, though altogether not cruel, laugh, "Please, I work in these yards. And after three weeks, I decided that I should intervene," he paused to assess the young girl in front of him -- he was perfectly aware that she was not the type to start turning tricks and that she would never help in selling Zydrate which left her usefulness at a stunning minimum, "I have an extra room at my place. You can stay there until you get everything sorted out."

The now-bald girl wanted to trust the Graverobber but a certain doubt constantly shrouded her opinion of him; by staying at the house of a drug pusher she was not only putting herself in the danger of the law but who was to say if the Graverobber wanted her to stay for completely chaste reasons. It was with this mindset that she spoke up, her eye's meeting with his in a search for sincerity, "What is the catch? Y-you know I cannot afford to stay."

"No catch," he said with a slight shake of his head, "You are not naive, Shilo. But you can rest assured, I do not want anything from a seventeen year old girl who has lost her family," he gave a smirk at his own kindness, "consider this my charity work for the year."

There were a million reasons for Shilo to say 'no' however, she sensed the trace of humility in the older man's voice and took it for a deep-rooted honesty. This honesty caused a short, brief sting in Shilo's heart. In all her logic, with everything that she had read and everything that she had seen in her life she could not place a reason for this kindness. But, being a smart girl she knew a good thing when it was put in front of her head in a habit of shyness, she spoke up, "Where do you live?"

It was with this strange, (dare she say it?) man of crime, that Shilo found a new home. It was not a glamorous place. Rather it was exactly what people saw on television crime programs. His apartment had two bedrooms, both with not a bed post but simply a mattress on the ground and with walls covered in the dust and filth of time. There was a bathroom, much in the same condition as the bedrooms, and a kitchen which doubled, as the Graverobber put it sarcastically, "as the family room."

They fell into a familiar pattern. During the day, Shilo would walk around, attempting to figure out a plan for her life. She would eventually come home and eat something from the surprisingly full food cabinet of the Graverobber and switch on the television in hopes of finding some sort of answer in her search for a meaning or purpose. While she watch the early evening programs, the Graverobber would rise from bed and greet her courteously with small 'hellos' and 'good evenings.' For reasons beyond her, he never asked about when she was going to move out. Instead his questions bordered on the fatherly (or, depending on one's perspective, motherly).

"Are you doing better?" he would ask before reminding her that she was free to take anything she wanted from the kitchen. Shilo would nod her head, and kindly remind him that she was perfectly aware while mentally reminding herself not to take advantage of this amazingly kind man.

Yet, the reminders that the Graverobber's career and lifestyle were anything but chaste constantly remained. On the rare occasion Shilo would dare herself a question of curiosity, he would either give his all-too-aware-of-the-world smile and shake his head slowly without giving the slightest hint of an answer or, taking a turn of honesty he would reply, "Helping some people," he would pause as if searching for the right word, "with the agony."

After a month of this life, Shilo could not help herself. She felt not only the desire, but the need, to question the Graverobber's motives. This was in part due to the unrest in Shilo`s conscious concerning his lifestyle but also because she could not understand why a man who was clearly independent, and seemingly did not want anything from her, would keep her in his home for so long. Clearing her throat, on one of their typically early evenings, she spoke up in the most serious voice she could muster, "Why . . . are you letting me stay here?"

The man seemed alarmed with the question as his eyebrows raised, "Are you not happy here?"

"Of course not!" She said with an edge of defensiveness in her voice, "You are such a good person and I love it here. But you have no reason . . . and . . . "

The Graverobber rose his hand in a way that showed he was used to attention and signaled that Shilo be quiet, "I think it is time I told you something, I will tell you this only once. You will not ask about it ever again but, please, keep this in mind when you think about questioning my motives," he smiled as softly as one can imagine a man of his type could, "When I was your age, seventeen exactly, I met a lovely girl. She was pregnant with my child, and, she had the baby," his face was not traced with the sadness one would expect, instead the Graverobber looked strong; as if his story was simply one of those facts of life, "and the mother left. I do not know if my child is a boy or a girl, if they are alive or dead . . . I know absolutely nothing. And, you," with this he let his serious face break into a small smile, "are my repentance. Please, do as you wish. When you want to leave, the door is open. However, you are not obligated to leave." Shilo opened her mouth to reply but the Graverobber cut her off, "I have to go to work," there was the ever-present sarcastic sting to his words. To announce his departure, he tipped his head like a perfect gentleman and left the apartment.

The Graverobber's words provided Shilo with a much needed comfort. An excuse for what was happening and why. It was only after this brief encounter (which was not followed up with a second mention of the child) that the young girl allowed herself to truly relax in the house. Karma had put the two of them together, and the Graverobber's sense of greater good provided her with a home. It was with this sense of home, and happiness, that Shilo began to seriously look for some sort of means to support herself. These means materialized in the form of an old bakery by the apartment where an older man seemed ecstatic at the prospect of a young girl joining the industry, "You'd be amazed," he would scowl, "but almost all the young women are becoming Genterns these days." He would then smile at Shilo and playfully criticize her short hair; for her once-bald head was only just starting to form a small tuft of hair on her head. She found it utterly unattractive but resolved to keep it with the expectation that it could only improve.

With a life that suddenly seemed at peace; Shilo's days turned into weeks and weeks into months. Graverobber became somewhat of an older brother, leaning towards father figure to her and she found that trusting him was altogether simple. He never hesitated to give her the 'facts' of life when she asked, and when he questioned her she would answer honestly. Under the stability provided by her new home; Shilo began to save her money from the bakery. She kept it in a small box, decorated with Rococo swirls of cream and small fragments of pink flowers. The money was saved with no particular goal in mind, but rather with a vague idea of something better in the future; perhaps moving out, perhaps buying a new dress.

If one was to look at Shilo's situation from an outside point of view, it would be easy to file her life away under the category 'boring.' However, for the young woman, this life proved the complete opposite. Given the freedom she waited, prayed, and wished for, for so long - she found the world not to be as exciting as she once thought. Rather, she enjoyed the simple things such as walking through the streets, reading the tabloids selling from kiosks, and finding new bugs for her , most amazingly, no one seemed to recognize or care who she was. It was in this pattern of peaceful life that she was left, one early evening, to watch television.

It was a new station that she was watching; something sponsored by Geneco's rival company, LifeInc. It was almost a joke, really, watching the two companies battle it out. Geneco would produce a new vocalist, and LifeInc would quickly follow with one of their own and vice versa. But Shilo could not help herself, she enjoyed watching LifeInc's newest singer on stage. The singer was a mysterious, gorgeous, raven-haired beauty by the name of Celestina who was also the oldest daughter of LifeInc's CEO and, thusly, was expected to inherit the company. Given her past, and her age, Shilo was naturally caught up in the celebrity mayhem and tried her hardest to catch every program over Celestina.

During commercial, a time where Shilo normally drifted off, her attention was caught as a loud voice and large letters blinked across the screen: "CELESTINA MAKES CONTROVERSIAL STATEMENT: WHO IS THE REAL HEIR TO GENECO?" A flash of the television followed and the beautiful Celestina Cyrill was giving a statement in her cool, collected voice, "I think everyone who saw the Genetic Opera is more than aware that Amber Sweet, or Largo, or whatever she is calling herself these days," she waits a moment as a small giggle breaks out within the reporters, "is not the real heir to Geneco. It is the daughter of Nathan Wallace, Shilo Wallace . . . did the late Rottissimo Largo not make that clear?" A picture of Shilo appeared in the top, right corner of the television; she had her long, black hair in the picture and she gave a silent thanks that she gave up her wig.

Yet, regardless, this attention made her nervous. What if people went searching for her? It was something that was completely unwanted from her end. Yet, the early evening turned into a late evening and as night came so did sleep. For one last night, Shilo was left in peace.

The next evening came, and Shilo had removed all her fears away with the logic a person normally uses when put in situations when they expect the worst; 'Who would bother to go look for me? Does anyone care except Celestina Cyrill? Of course not . . . I am worrying for absolutely nothing.' With this logic rushing over her, for the first time during her entire stay at the Graverobber's apartment she heard a tapping on the door. Her already-wide eyes widened and she glanced up at the man sitting across from her, "Who could that be?" She asked with a slight feeling of fear building up in her stomach.

"You tell me," he responded rather suddenly before standing up an answering the door out of site from the young girl in his living room/kitchen. But though she could not see them, she quickly recognized the unforgettable voice of Amber Sweet,

"You came to my house for a hit? You know this is a breaking of the customer-worker barrier."

"No, I am here to see your . . . heh . . . jailbait."

"Please, you know your the only the woman for me."

And indistinguishable moan. A short chuckle of familiarity.

"Shilo, Amber Sweet is here for you."

Graverobber was perfectly aware the younger girl was listening and felt no need to yell the guest's name. Rather he announced the guest in a slow, almost sarcastic way. Shilo, almost shyly appeared at the door and was greeted with a site that she had hoped to forget. The stunningly sexy Amber Sweet with her two handsome, male bodyguards. Trying to appear somewhat self-assured, Shilo abandoned manners and questioned abruptly, "Yeah?"

The older woman rolled her eyes, "Dear, you watch the news, right?" She did not wait for an answer, "Then you are perfectly aware of the hot topic you have become. And I was thinking . . . since you are the rightful heir to Geneco, you might want to join our ranks."

"No, never,"

Shilo's answer was so simple it elicited a small curse from Amber before she put back on her business smile, "Trust me, dear, I do not want you to join us either. However, with the bad press we're getting," she allows a pause of consideration, "all you'd have to do is come to the company for a couple of weeks. Once the press cools down you can go back to your life with him," she said it with a fond disgust, "and your bakery job."

Standing there, Shilo glanced at Graverobber hoping for some sort of reassurance but the man shrugged his shoulders in submission.

With a million considerations rushing through her mind, a million pros and cons; she opened her mouth and replied:

"O-Okay."


	2. What the Tabloids Don't Know

**Short, super, author-notes: **Same basic information as before. 3. Reviews are lovely and Con-crit is always lovelier.

**Chapter 2**

_What the Tabloids Don't Know_

When all was said and done the decision to join Geneco was, to put it all-so-simply, an easy one. Shilo knew, better than anyone else, that finding the answers to the questions that were created at the Opera could only be found at the heart of the problem. And since not only her mother and father were dead, but also Rotti Largo, she knew the answers to her questions would best be found in the heart of Rotti Largo's life; his company. Shilo was positive that somewhere within the tall walls of the Geneco headquarter there would be something that would provide the metaphorical key to knowledge and she was determined to find it.

Her thoughts were not interrupted by her rudimentary tour of the building provided by a bored-out-of-her-mind Amber Sweet who would roll her eyes at Shilo's occasional nods and 'uh-huh's. Rather, Shilo only superficially took note of the things around her. It was a pretty building when one thought about it. Though, it constantly held a certain darkness about it. Many cabinets had a slight rust and one was always aware that Geneco was a place of slaughter -- even if that was the last thing the company wanted to represent. However, even within this strange place, certain rooms of importance managed to catch Shilo's eye.

There was a file room, Amber Sweet said with a sweet smile. The walls were covered with rusty file cabinets. Each seemed packed with folders of papers; some were browning with age while others were still a fresh white. Though Shilo took no note of it; Amber Sweet could see the girl's eyes widening as in shock at the size of the room. Giving her low, almost seductive chuckle she added an extra comment, "This is where all the files on employees, people with organs . . . repossessed or still intact, and pretty much all the technicalities of the company."

The second room that managed to grab ahold of Geneco's newest employee's attention was a room she, indeed, was not even allowed to see inside of. Rather it was the collection of three doors, all large, all intimidating, yet all decorated with the flamboyant designs of what could only be assumed to be a Rococo style. Amber Sweet dismissed the rooms with simplicity, "These are the rooms of my brother's and I. If you go into any of them. It will be your last days with us." Shilo nodded obediently noticing that the youngest Largo sibling was not smiling, or rolling her eyes. She was perfectly focused on Shilo and obviously expecting perfect obedience in accordance to the rule.

They moved on.

The last room Amber Sweet led her to that managed to catch young Shilo's attention was a relatively large room. The desk (a dark mahogany) was adorned with gold and silver and the window overlooking the room was nothing like one would expect. It had a dark red, velvet curtains hanging and though the view outside was of the grim city, the curtains made it all the more bearable. Amber Sweet once again allowed her eyes to roll at Shilo, "This is your office." Sweet allowed herself to pause for another moment and then pointed to a door (large and wood, something one would expect from an old fantasy novel) that was located behind the desk, and tucked away in the corner, "And that," she pointed her manicured nails, "is my office."

A silence settled over the two women. Shilo stared at Amber Sweet with wide eyes; obviously expecting something more. While Amber Sweet stared at the girl with a look that conveyed a certain perpetual state of boredom mixed with annoyance for having to deal with someone you had absolutely no interest in. It was in this silence that Shilo cleared her throat and decided to ask the question that she had been asking herself, "So. Um. Amber. What exactly is my . . . job?"

Amber Sweet gave a short, almost charming laugh; the one people politely utter when someone has managed to embarrass themselves, "First of all; do not call me Amber. Our company is . . . changing it's image, so for now on I am Miss Largo. Secondly, have you forgotten why I hired you?" The newly-declared Miss Largo paused, obviously waiting for Shilo to give some sort of reaction. When no sign of recognition formed on Shilo's altogether too-pale face, the heiress continued, "Celestina Cyrill is my problem. She thinks we have attempted to kill you or something," she shrugged with disinterest, "your place at this company is mostly show. I will give you a bedroom, you will appear on television, tell people how much you love it here, and sit in this office and occasionally help my brothers and I with things."

The female Largo once again laughed (all too condescendingly, Shilo would later think) at the dumbstruck look on Shilo's face, "Did you miss something?" Amber Sweet questioned the clearly confused girl.

"Clearly?" When put into a state of pressure, Shilo ended sentances that should be statements with question-marks, thusly stating her own insecurity, "I mean . . . I have a home. You didn't tell me I would be living here -- "

Her thoughts were interrupted, "It is a necessity. No one will believe we, the Largo siblings, are accepting you until you start living with us. I have worked it out with, heh, Graverobber," the blonde said his street name with a certain mocking tone, "your stuff is in a room, I had a couple GENterns pick it up. I have a nice room for you. I will show it to you later."

Shilo stared at Amber and was aware that nothing she said would change the woman's mind concerning her home situation, "Alright then," her voice was hesitant, "It is only temporary, right?"

"The minute Celestina gets off my ass, you are home-free," she smirked, "and, trust me, that will make everyone happier."

With the formalities put aside, Amber Sweet led the younger girl into what was introduced as the Largo Sibling's office. It was a nice room with a desk in the center that once belonged to the late Rotti Largo. One also couldn't fail to notice the four bodyguards dispersed around the room. Two men, both muscular and handsome and two women, obviously strong, but scantily dressed; all of them held guns. Sitting on the array of couches and resting stools of the office were the brothers of Amber Sweet. Pavi Largo, in all his feminine swagger, was sprawled across a couch and looking at himself in the mirror; he only showed the slightest interest when the two females entered the room. Luigi Largo, on the other hand, sharply turned at the sound of the door's opening and quickly questioned the arrivees, "Who the fuck is that? Is that Nathan fucking Wallace's kid?"

Shilo gave an involuntary flinch at the cursing and before she could give an answer Amber Sweet gave it, "Our new intern. You remember me telling you about her."

Fluidly, Pavi stood up and (Shilo could only imagine, though she could not tell through the small eye holes of his mask) looked at her. Giving a joyous giggle he let his hand trail it's way down her face, "She is adorable," he remarked as if making an inspection.

"Oh, please, keep it in your fucking pants, Pavi. She should be doing work. Isn't that what she is fucking doing here?"

"Don't listen to my brother," Pavi continued with a purr, "you should feel a little welcomed."

Shilo was frozen in place and only her eyes managed to switch focus between the two brothers before finally settling on Amber Sweet pleadingly. Answering the call, the youngest Largo spoke up, "It doesn't matter. I was just giving an introduction. This is Shilo Wallace. She is our assistant. If you need anything, ask her for it," Amber Sweet paused. Waiting for one of her brothers to give a request. When none came she continued, "If you have nothing to ask of her at the moment, she is in the office outside. She will be doing some of the more mundane paperwork."

With that short (Shilo felt, badly executed) introduction, the intern was escorted back out to her desk and given a thick pile of papers and vague instructions; read through them, we only want to read what is relevant to us. And so began Shilo's first workday. The doom and gloom of an office job quickly settled over her as she read through boring proposals and badly-written requests. Her only inspiration to continue was the smallest glimmer of hope - that with this job she would eventually understand her past.

Within the middle of a paragraph, the door to the main office opened and Shilo's eyes met the four people leaving; all the bodyguards. For the slightest second Shilo considered questioning why or where the bodyguards were going but decided against it if only to save face. She did not want to be known as the dumb, simple girl who failed to understand the simplest of jobs and tasks.

Staying awake while reading through Geneco's papers was a difficult task. Shilo noticed her eyes closing and when she glanced at the clock (with the hope that it would be the end of the day) she was disappointed to note that she had only been working for a pitiful twenty minutes. But, as always, fate had a funny way of working itself. Shilo was suddenly and violently jerked awake by a letter so obviously intended for Amber Sweet. The writing on the envelope was a pearl pink and, upon glancing on the back on the package, she noticed that the sender was Celestina Cyrill.

Standing up, Shilo could not help but feel a tiny glimmer of joy. She had done her job right (even if it was something she did not enjoy) and she had a feeling that Amber Sweet would just love to read whatever was contained within the letter. Not thinking entirely clearly, and slightly high from happiness, Shilo opened the door to the Largo Office Headquarters and was more that a little shocked by what she saw.

Amber Sweet comfortably resting between her two brothers in a way that could not be considered just sibling affection.

Shilo dropped the envelope.

Three pairs of eyes looked up.

Shock. Surprise.

There were some things that even the tabloids wouldn't dare write about.


	3. It Isn't Too Bad

**Author Notes: **New chapter. Hope you like it! ConCrit is always loved. Thanks for the reviews! They keep me coming.

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_It Isn't Too Bad_

Shilo was flustered and embarrassed. Her face was a a shade of tomato red for a plethora of reasons. She quickly spun around, leaving the letter and Amber Sweet's curses behind her as she slammed the door and breathed in and then out again in an attempt to clarify in her mind what she had just seen. In that moment, leaning against the back of the door, Shilo wished she could have gone through life without seeing _that_. For when one took a second to think about it, there was no mistaking what she had seen. Amber Sweet was, undeniably, in a relationship with not just one but both of her brothers. That was not right. Rather, it was very much the opposite, it was completely wrong. Geneco's newest intern gave a loud groan as she allowed herself slide down the door to a sitting position. She didn't want to think what the Largo siblings would do or say to her.

A click signaled that one of the siblings was trying to open the door and Shilo looked up, seeing the old-fashioned doorknob slowly turning, and pushed herself away from the door and back to her feet. Standing up straight, she attempted to come up for an answer or an apology for her actions. What could she say that would cause what was bound to be an Amber Sweet bitch-fest into something sweeter, possibly forgiving? The answer was entirely clear, there was nothing Shilo could really say that would grant her pardon from the female Largo's wrath.

The door slowly opened, causing Shilo's heart to start beating faster and, in response to this acceleration, Shilo put a hand to her heart in habit. What the door revealed was _not_ Amber Sweet or even Luigi Largo. If one was thinking logically, it would be clear that the siblings had decided on taking the best ambassador to deal with the situation. Which would, in this situation, be Pavi Largo. Shilo could easily argue that this was one of the last people she wanted to see, but the calm smile placed underneath Pavi's woman face was the brightness of his eyes brought a certain calm to the storm of emotions raging in Shilo's mind. Yet, when their eyes caught one another's, Shilo quickly looked down to the ground out of embarrassment. The entire situation was an entirely awkward.

"Shilo," Pavi began with the soberest voice he would muster (which, meant, all too clearly, that his voice was still hinted with a smidgen of happiness), "What you think you just saw . . . was probably exactly what you think it was." He gave a little giggle at his horrible attempt at humor. Shilo looked, one eyebrow raised, hoping this meant the other two siblings were not in a state of murderous anger, "However, it would be . . . preferable . . . if you kept this under wraps. You must understand, we do not really like everyone knowing about our little, relationship."

Pavi looked up, once again meeting Shilo's eyes, and one again causing her to look to the ground with blush flaming on her cheeks. Giving a deep breath, Shilo opened her mouth and answered, "Yes. I understand completely. And I am very sorry." She tried to remember the excuses and apologies that were running through her mind before Pavi had walked out, "I had just gotten that small letter from Celestina Cyrill and I know she and Amber are on . . . bad terms?" Shilo looked up for an answer in the middle of her speech and looked up to see an amused smile playing on the other's face, so instead of waiting for a nod of approval she continued, "And, yeah. I walked in without thinking. I am very, very sorry about this entire thing. I hope Am -- I mean, your brother an sister aren't too angry with me."

Amusement continued to fester on Pavi Largo's face and showed absolutely no signs of fading. Shilo showered herself with insecurity and instead of shutting up she continued to speak, "Is there anything I can say or do to help this situation?"

The man's eyes widened, as if something Shilo said came as a great surprise, "Oh, dear! You think there is something you can do to calm the combined wrath of Luigi and Amber? Hmph, you are funnier than I imagined," he sighed slightly, noticing that his extravagant humor was doing nothing to consult Shilo Wallace, "However, I can assure you that my sister will not do anything too terrible to you. After all, she needs you. So, keep it quiet and everything should be okay."

"Promise?"

"Anything for a cute girl," he began to grin but it was interrupted by the door opening, this time with a bit more force, to reveal Amber Sweet with her brother lurking closely behind her.

Shilo gave a crooked smile, aspiring for some sort of heavenly forgiveness. Instead she noticed a slight sneer firmly planted on the woman's face. It was, however, not directed at Shilo, rather it was completely focused on the beautiful envelope Shilo had given her. Giving a small, uncharacteristic growl, Amber finally allowed her gaze to land onto Shilo, "I am assuming Pavi has discussed . . ."

The word hung in the air gathering a strange aura until Shilo took it upon herself to fill it up, " . . . we discussed absolutely _nothing. _Because there is nothing to be discussed?"

Amber Sweet smiled, "Exactly. You learn fast, Miss. Wallace. And since you are such a quick learner, perhaps you should read this _letter_," she seemed to scoff at the word, as if the letter itself was the disgusting thing and not the sender, Celestina Cyrill, "After all, it concerns you more than it concerns me."

Curiosity charged through Shilo's system, so much that she even braved to question further, "Than, may I read it?"

Luigi began to argue but Amber Sweet held up her hand, like a queen, to silence him, "Of course, after all, you are the real heir." The irony was edged with an anger that was impossible to disregard. Delicately, Amber tossed the letter, envelope and all to Shilo. Using what little grace she had, Shilo caught it. The girl was nervous in a way that she was not used to and little beads of sweat ran down her hand as she opened the letter and pulled out charming, pink paper that smelled of lavender. Shilo quickly concentrated on the words; which shocked her beyond belief.

_Dear Carmela Largo, _

_I am so pleased at your publicity stunt. Two days after I first acknowledge your companies failure to find the correct heir to Geneco, you go to Shilo Wallace's apartment. Though I am surprised at the lengths you will go to conceal your company's dirty business, I must admit this is not me acknowledging failure. I will be keeping an eye on you. _

_Love,_

_Celestina Cyrill_

When Shilo looked back up, all three of the Largo siblings were focused on her. It was obvious they were waiting for a response, and Shilo wasn't one to give up. She smiled slightly, attempting to add the same sort of humor Pavi had attempted with her, "What exactly does this mean?"

"It means," Luigi spoke before anyone had a chance, "that that little cunt has caught onto Amber's plans for you. It means she is fucking stalking us. And it means we need to fucking deal with you longer than we intended." His face was red with fury, and as he spoke he walked closer to Shilo. Her heart fluttered with nervousness and then, quite suddenly, Pavi stepped in front and whispered something to his brother which she could only imagine went something along the lines of, 'it's not worth it'.

Amber exhaled and took her place as the leader, "What it really means, is that we need to make you public. Quicker than I intended. I thought you would have at least a week here before we would have to do a press conference. However, with Celestina breathing down our back, trying to get us to lose face," the irony was lost on Amber as she spoke, "You are going to have to tell everyone how happy you are to work here. Though since it is your first time, being in the public eye," she chuckled to herself, possibly at what she found to be Shilo's childish, unaware-of-the-world nature, "I think I should help you out on what to say."

The female Largo paused, giving Shilo time to catch and sort her thoughts, "So, wait, I have to do a press conference . . . today? Um, when?"

Shilo found it a logical enough question, but once again Amber Sweet gave her snottish chuckle, and answered with an air of disconnectedness, "Of course it is today. In," she checked her watch, "about thirty minutes."

The Largo's publicity stunt's eyes widened and she felt as if her heart had stopped beating, Amber took this to mean stage fright, "Oh please, Shilo, do not be such an amateur. You will be fine if you listen to me, okay?"

Shilo gave a detached nod and Amber continued, "They are going to ask you how we found you, you are going to say we have been searching for a long time. You are going to say you are happy here. You are going say we are like siblings. And you are absolutely, under no conditions, to mention anything you may or may not have seen in my office."

"If she does, I swear I will fucking ring her throat," Luigi chimed in.

"I must admit, I would be a little disappointed," Pavi commented.

"Um . . . " Shilo began, "I promise I will do good. I won't say a word about anything about your personal life. And, I will say what a good mentor you are, Amber."

"Beautiful," she smiled and her phone rang, "We should be heading to the conference center."

To the siblings surprise and to their great relief, Shilo Wallace was a natural at PR. Her shyness came off as sincerity and she managed to sneak in how much she loved the company in every statement. And when difficult questions about Celestina Cyrill came up, Shilo put on an act of confusion, as if she couldn't understand why anyone would believe she was with Geneco just because the daughter of some other company's heir was attempting to slander Geneco's name. Yet, Shilo was utterly pleased and content when the questions stopped and the hour long press conference reached a peaceful end.

Shilo failed to notice much else as the conference reached an end, however, once again she was greeted with the three siblings and based on their widely different expressions; Pavi looked pleased, Amber was indifferent, and Luigi completely furious. She assumed she must have done something wrong. Immediately she bowed her head, in attempt to hide her face now that her hair was too short to provide any sort of protection, and she spoke in quick, apologetic words, "I am so sorry if I did anything wrong. I really tried to put the company in a positive light. And I am completely sorry?" Her nervous habit of ending statements with questions had yet to fade away.

Pavi chortled, obviously pleased by this turns of event, "Actually My siblings and I--"

"Just you, Pavi," Luigi interrupted.

However, Pavi continued without any sign of recognition besides his voice sounded even happier and playful than before, "--decided it would only be fair to invite you out to a wonderful dinner with us. We own an absolutely gorgeous restaurant down the street from here, Italian, of course."

Everything in Shilo's mind screamed at her to refuse the invitation. It told her that this was the last thing she should do. Instead, she gave a humble smile, and put on another act of politeness, "Of course, if you want me to. I cannot refuse, can I?"

"It's good publicity," Amber sighed.

"She's adorable," Pavi said, directing his comment at the angry Luigi.

"I do give a flaming fuck," he retorted, "however, I am not going to this fucking meal." Spinning on his heels, he left, obviously not content with his sibling's conclusion.

Shilo, however, couldn't help but feel guilty. After all, only at the beginning of the day, the three of them were, obviously, on better terms. Somehow, her discovery of them and her arrival had done something to disrupt their ranks and this terrified her. Shilo wanted to speak up, and politely decline, however Amber was quick to do damage control, "He'll get over it. he has never played all that nicely. Shall we go?" Amber questioned Pavi.

"Yes, we shall. Dinner shall be fabulous." He chuckled slightly as he walked ahead of the two, slightly skipping.

Without Luigi there, dinner went without much a hitch. It took Shilo a bit of time to get used to Pavi's shameless flirting with all the waitresses and Amber's complaints about the perfectly fine food. However, Shilo wasn't expected to talk much, instead she got an opportunity to hear the two siblings talk with one another. And though it was filled with disfunction (they barely went two sentences without calling one another some profane name), Shilo was quick to notice that they didn't completely hate each other. Amber taking over the company was a decision all of them reached together. And Pavi seemed content to sit on the side and enjoy life with a steady revenue of cash, and from what she could catch, Luigi was okay as long as he got to handle part of the business side of things. Their harmony was hard to understand, but Shilo had somehow caught onto it.

As the evening came to a close, the three of them headed to what Shilo wished she could call home. Her room was on the other end of the Largo mansion, far away from the Sibling's Master bedrooms, and she could only imagine it was slightly less pretty and altogether less striking. Her bed had floral sheets, a pattern that found itself on the curtains, and on the walls. She had a bathroom, with the basics, and her room was something around the equivalent of a hotel room. It caused the smallest hint of sadness to sting at her heart, however she knew better to complain. Shilo had yet to forget her bigger cause; all of this was to find out about her parents -- to find the truth. She could, and would, deal with whatever the Largo's threw at her. And, if she was to ignore the homesickness, the siblings were altogether not terrible to deal with. They had a certain flair to them that amused Shilo.

She gave a little sigh and plopped down on the bed, not bothering to change into her cloths (which, as Amber had promised, the GENterns, had brought to her new room) and closed her eyes in a disconnected peace. Shilo could only hope tomorrow would be less busy and she would have time to do a little espionage.


End file.
